Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-01-10

been accomplished In his overthrow, ne
goes bearing scars, some of which no
doubt are merited, but his character for
honesty stands not only above question,
but absolutely above suspicion. And, it
may well be doubted if any other mem
Der OF the senate would be missed by his
colleagues. and lamented by the whole
republic so much as he. But the fame
of Gen. John 4. Logan rises out of his
character as a soldier whose military
achievements were due to his devotion to
the cause for which he fought. and his
towering energy which like a mountain
of flame melted the GOODNESS of defeat
into the mellow warmth of victory
To many Of you the breaking
of the terrible storm of war on Sumpter,
seems but the horrible dream of last
night. With bewilderingly rapid alter.
nations we queried will they fire on the
old flag? And said MOI mo- they won't,
until swift as flight of the angry bird of
war, the tidings flew, 'Sumpter is fallen. 5"
And then strange deap dread, like pail of
horrid night mare settled upon our once
blithe Columbia. and in wild haste she
tore her robes of gayety into strips, with
which to bandage the wounds of her
heroic sons. Then il was, that strong
men who knew not how to fear before,
with fainting hearts melted into a fOun-
tain of tears, in absolute terror lest
beautiful stars should be plucked from
freedoms banner, and her stri pes be torn
IN twain Thunder of war pealed from
II 81, Il T,l
heard throughout the land. Troops
gathering from civil pursuits. the field,
the Office, the shop the school room,
even the pulpit, were hurrying to the
front to build wall of steel and swell
river of blood, over which the most
cruel of focmen, SO recently trans
formed from brothers. should not pass to
hurt or kill the tree of liberty. Men of
sterling worth hitherto, unknown, or
little known; at their country's bidding
stepping forward entered the counsels
Of state, or to grid on their swords and
lead ia the van of the war Then it
was that the hOnored sons of Illinois
came forth. Lincoln to stand at the
helm Of state and hold in his manly
grasp Of steel the destiny of the Nation;
with purposes as firm as the adamantine
base of the ages, with judgment and
wis Tom as penetrating as the rays Of the
sun, with philanthropy as broad as 2
continent, and a heart as tender as a
mothers. To stand, through awful years
of war, and with grip like that of at
traction, by which the universe is held
| together, to hold the destinies of our
beautiful republic, until he had stricken
slavery's accursed letters from four mil
lions of boundmen; held until the war
cloud had spent its fury, and then our
cOuntry's saviour, the martyred Lincoln
fell And Grant TO lead the armies of
the Nation from the gloomy valleys of
defeat through tempest of war up to the
sunlighted summit of the mountain of
victory. To succeed where every other
man who had ever tried had failed. To
/ bear engrayen GU his shield the we'll
earned title, E4rths Greatest Military
| Commander. and stand at the head
| # her great column of invincible wars
rjors, greatest OF them all.
/ Congress. in response to call of Pres
| iatnt Lincoln, was III extra session, the
youthful Logan was in his place. He
saw il all. Among the troops were men
! from Illinois The sight stirred the mil
itary spirit within him. He left the safety
of his seat n congress for the peris of
war HIS speeches rallving men for de,
Tense of the nation rang out over the
prairie estate a very tocsin of war, and
fired the loyal heart Of the commonwealth
win patriotism that brought thousands
of her faircSl sons to the support of thu
standard of the republic. AT the head nj
one Of her regiments he entered the field.
They did not wait long for initiation in,
TO the EJnOrs Of real war. In the battle
Of Belmont but few weeks after mus.
tered into service. he led them in {
baYonet charge. in which his dauntless
bravery inspired them with he0ric cour,
age Bullets shattered his pistol in his
belt, his horse was shot beneath him. but
on he Stormed in the periluus fray unit
the enemy's line gave way; until tina
which had 10 other seeming than defeat
was, by his iuvinCibie spirit, turned intt
victory. Next. with his regiment, III
took part in the battles Of Fort Henry
and For Donelson, in which he became
even more famous for his true sol1ierly
, yalor, and ia the last Of which he was
severely wounded. Soon as he was able
he reported to Gen, Grant at Pittsburg
, Landing for service, when he was hon
ored By promotion to brigadier genera
of volunteers. His skill and importan
service in the siege OF Corr nth increa sec
the confidence already reposed in him
because Of his unfaltcring courage and
| fidelity. There was genuiueness in hi
/ patriotism most commendabie. Pressed
20 leave the field and become a candidate
for reelection to the house of representa-
tiYes, lie responded: Il have entered lhl
field to die ii need be, for this govern
ment, and never expect - return tC
peaceful pursuits until the objects of thi
war Of preservation has become an estab
/ lisbed fact" TO him the war was more
than a mere dress parade, more than q
b. sk!rmsh, more than a battle. 1t was
the defense of the nations honor, thu
maintenance Of Justice, liberty and truth
! Daring Grants operations in northern
t Mississippi, right bravely did he lead hi
troops in many hard fought battles. II
the siege of Vicksburg he commanded
t McPherson's center, and his command
made the assault, and was first to ente
and unfurl their standard over that rebe
stronghold, on that memorial independ
ance day of 1853. In recognition of hii
, skill and valor; he was promoted to maj
! general of volunteers. In all the battle
from Missionary Ridge to the fall of At
lanta. his faithful hand directed the
standard of his command to victory II
! the great march from Atlanta to the sei
p he succeeded Sherman to the cOmmant
f OF the fifteenth army corps, and led tn
+ advance Of the Army of the Tennessee
: through that desperate struggle to tn
6 consnmmation of glorious triumph, unit
g the guards were dashed away from a
+ prison pens, and the starry banner kiSse
+, freedom S breezcs over a redeemed ma
| ton. and the scream of the bird of wa